Sonnet Slim Ballpoint - Damaged Mechanism

[Elcs]

Hello all,

 

First post, not a topic that I am even mildly knowledgeable about and my handwriting has been described as being that of a drunken mouse.

 

I received a Parker Sonnet Slim in stainless steel with gold trim a good few years back. It was a present and my name is engraved into the barrel.

 

I have a Sonnet Fountain pen and I barely use it because the Slim suits me much better and it is my ever faithful work companion... Until earlier this week.

 

There are 3 parts and I'll name them wrong but here goes...

 

The barrel - clean, clear and the spring appears fine if a little firm.

 

The top - this now seems to have developed a fault as it struggles to push the refill tip out.

 

The part that is internal, twists and manipulates the nib in correspondence with the twist... This is damaged, I think.

 

The little metal hat at the end which is meant to push the refill down appears to be a bit loose and only pushes the nib out half way.

 

I am not the best at explaining but I will try to respond to any questions.

 

I have considered purchasing a new Sonnet Slim for the required part and I found that they are quite scarce and pricey in the UK.

 

I also considered finding a similarly slim replacement which uses the same size/shape of refill but Google was of no assistance.

 

Thank you in advance for any support you can offer.

[Mike 59]

Hi, So the pen with the problem is a Sonnet ballpoint? You press the button on the top, but the point of the refill does not come at at the tip? Can you take the pen apart? Does the refill come out?

It's possible that the refill may have leaked at the top end, and the ink has got into the 'clicker' mechanism.

If you can take the refill out, does the top blue (or black) plastic part look ok?

[Elcs]

Hi, So the pen with the problem is a Sonnet ballpoint? You press the button on the top, but the point of the refill does not come at at the tip? Can you take the pen apart? Does the refill come out?

It's possible that the refill may have leaked at the top end, and the ink has got into the 'clicker' mechanism.

If you can take the refill out, does the top blue (or black) plastic part look ok?

Hello,

 

It is a Sonnet Slim Ballpoint. There is no clicker, it's a twist top mechanism.

 

Twisting coaxes the refill out a little bit with a little bit of persuasion. It appears as though the top part is refusing to grip the middle.

 

The whole pen comes apart without a complaint or issue. The refill is removable and I have ensured that the pen is clean. There is no ink, gunk or other substances in the way of smooth operation.

 

Swapping refills has made no difference. I have two Parker refills on hand and four Schneider Slider 755 refills which are the identical shape and size. The problem is the same.

 

The problem appears to be in the middle piece. Twisting the top should grip the top half of this middle piece, which turns and pushes the refill down and out for writing.

[Mike 59]

Hi Elcs, I don't own one of these pens, but I do have a Waterman version, possibly very similar.

One or two possible issues that you might be able to sort out, with pens of this type, over time the grease (if used) might have dried so stopping the twist mechanism working.

I don't think you will get the cap apart without damage, but you could try putting the cap into a cup of very warm water, for 5 minutes , dry it off and test it back on the pen. It might be enough to get it moving.

Otherwise with click-top pens that have become rough, I spray the inside with WD-40, then roll up some tissue paper into a tight spiral and wind into the cap. This will soak up most of the oil, but with any luck some will have worked into the mechanism to free it.

This worked well with a Parker 61 click top ballpoint, it's so smooth now.

I said about the top of the refill being suspect, as it's not unknown for refills to leak and get into the cap. Not in your case though.

 

If the mechanism looks something like my Waterman, then it's more likely that the part that grips between the inner cap and the metal cap has become too smooth, and so needs some 'edge' to be put back on it, so that it grips again.

So that when you turn the cap, the inner cap is turning with it instead of slipping.

 

Not sure if any of this helps though!

Edited April 30, 2017 by Mike 59

[ceejaybee]

I've found it's a common issue with the Sonnet mechanisms, there's two kinds, dark grey plastic or all metal and I find the plastic ones seem to be the most likely to fail. They work by twisting as you say but the only part gripped by the cap is the top narrow 5mm metal part which becomes worn and the cap can't grip it any longer.

 

The normal sized Sonnets and the Insignia ballpoints also use the same mechanism but I'd always look for an all metal mechanism where possible as the plastic ones can be a bit hit and miss. You can find cheap used Sonnets and Insignias on ebay but it's worth asking the seller if the cap is a tight fit or if it pulls off the mechanism easily and if it's all metal before you buy. The Insignia is very similar to the Slim Sonnet in looks and has the same clip - you'll find other styles of Parker pen advertised as Insignias as Parker also used the term to describe some of their older gold coloured pens.

 

Good Luck - hope you get it fixed

[Elcs]

I've found it's a common issue with the Sonnet mechanisms, there's two kinds, dark grey plastic or all metal and I find the plastic ones seem to be the most likely to fail. They work by twisting as you say but the only part gripped by the cap is the top narrow 5mm metal part which becomes worn and the cap can't grip it any longer.

 

The normal sized Sonnets and the Insignia ballpoints also use the same mechanism but I'd always look for an all metal mechanism where possible as the plastic ones can be a bit hit and miss. You can find cheap used Sonnets and Insignias on ebay but it's worth asking the seller if the cap is a tight fit or if it pulls off the mechanism easily and if it's all metal before you buy. The Insignia is very similar to the Slim Sonnet in looks and has the same clip - you'll find other styles of Parker pen advertised as Insignias as Parker also used the term to describe some of their older gold coloured pens.

 

Good Luck - hope you get it fixed

 

I was preparing some (bad) pictures of the pen in sections after reading Mike 59's post.

 

This is the exact issue that I am facing, albeit explained in a much better way than I could.

 

This Sonnet Slim's middle section is mostly metal with a dark brown plastic part in the middle. There are four very small metal ridges on what I'd call a little top hat which matches up with your description of the Sonnet. The top seems to be unable to grip any part of the little hat except to retract the nib.

 

Ideally I'd like to keep the Sonnet Slim barrel as it carries the sentimental value and it's always nice to have something that can write so well in a work setting.... but given the price of a replacement and no idea how I could repair it (I think the cap may be to blame, not the middle/hat part) so I'll take a look for the slim kind of Insignia.

 

Personally I have never found a pen as comfortable to use as the Sonnet Slim. A nice weight with slimline body. I'd be sad to get rid of it as my main black ink pen of choice.